1 person dead, 2 missing after boat sinks in English Channel

LONDON – Romanian officials say one of the country's citizens drowned and two others are missing after their boat collided with another vessel and sank in the English Channel.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry said four Romanians were in the boat when the accident happened off the Sussex coast in southeast England on Sunday. The ministry says one person died, one was rescued and hospitalized, and two remained unaccounted for.

A rescue operation for the two missing men was launched with helicopters and lifeboats before the UK Coastguard called off the search.

Sussex Police said in a statement that the boat is thought to have left the Brighton marina after midnight "but the facts are not clear at this time."

The foreign ministry did not release the names of the people on the boat.